It Started With Kickball
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Camp!AU. Booth and Brennan meet at camp over a kickball game. It's the start of something.


**Title: **It Started With Kickball

**Rating:** T

**Pairings/Characters:** Booth, Brennan

**Warnings: **none

**Hogwarts: **365 Prompts  
Prompt - grateful

**Hogwarts: **Quarterly Event - Gym  
Madam Pomfrey's Fun Fitness - Lat Pull Down Machine: Emotion - Insecure

**Hogwarts: **April Auction  
Day 28 - Auction 4 - Camp!AU

X

Seeley always played kickball during the athletic portion of his day at camp. It was one of his favorite games. And he was good.

He knew others weren't as athletic as him and maybe didn't enjoy sports in the same way, but he couldn't understand how someone could be so against participating.

But there he was, watching a girl reluctantly walk to the plate for her turn to kick. It was easy to see she really didn't want to do it. She was fidgeting and her eyes kept looking in every direction but him. He was good at reading people, despite being only sixteen, and he could tell she was insecure.

Jared was insecure too, but he hid it a lot better than this girl did.

Although he always aimed to win, he felt bad for this small girl that looked as if a gust of wind could blow her down. He decided to give her an easy roll. Even if she didn't kick the ball very far, at least she'd be able to kick it somewhat.

He smiled at her and rolled it as gently as possible. She stared at the ball and barely tapped it. It was enough to count, though, and she moved to a base. Not very fast, though, and he was able to throw it to the first baseman, getting her out.

Her shoulders slumped as her teammates groaned. He heard screams of 'freak' and 'dead girl' but didn't understand the name calling. Yes, she wasn't a good player and lost a potential home run for her team, but was all of that really necessary?

As he was tossed the rubber ball, he watched her dejectedly walk to the bench being home plate and sit down on the end, far away from her jeering teammates. He felt bad for her and wished the camp didn't have rules about everyone participating in every activity.

Later that day, he found her sitting on a rock on top of a hill. She was staring at a dead raccoon with fascination in her eyes. It was slightly creepy, and some of the names she had been called started to make sense.

Still, he sought her out for a reason. "Hi."

She jumped and whirled around to face him, her eyes wide and frightened.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to apologize for how everyone treated you during the kickball game."

She tilted her head and stared at him inquisitively. "I don't remember you saying anything."

"I didn't, but no one should have said those things to you. They won't apologize, so I feel like I should. My gramps always taught the right way to treat a girl. I guess they never learned."

She allowed a grateful, if tentative smile, to come to her face."Thank you."

"You really don't like sports, do you?"

She shook her head. "I prefer pursuing academic interests. If it wasn't for Mary-Jane and Richard, I would have never come to camp. It certainly wasn't my idea."

"Who's Mary-Jane and Richard?" It couldn't be her parents. Who called their parents by their first names?"

"My current foster parents. I think they just wanted to get rid of me for a summer, even if it meant forking out a bundle of cash for me to come here."

Seeley didn't know what to say. He never meant anyone in foster care. He wondered what happened to her parents, but he knew better than to ask her in case it invoked bad memories. "Well, there are only six weeks left."

The girl sighed. "Unfortunately. The six weeks can't move fast enough in my opinion."

"I'm Seeley."

She looked at him again. "Seeley what? I know you don't just have one name."

"Seeley Booth. And you are?"

"Temperance Brennan."

"That's a pretty name," he said. He smiled when she blushed.

"Thank you."

"So, what are you doing with a dead animal?"

"I know it's weird, and a lot of people find it gross, but I kind of like cutting open animals. I like learning how bodies work, how bones fit together, and the only way to truly learn is to experiment."

Seeleys eyes widened. "Well, that is a bit weird."

She nodded sadly. "It's why I don't have any friends."

"_But_ it does make you interesting."

"You're probably the first person to ever say that to me before."

There was a loud bell, signaling dinner time.

She slumped even more on the rock, her eyes going to the ground.

"Want to eat together?"

Temperance stared at him. "Really? You want to be seen with me?"

He shrugged self-consciously. "Why not?"

She nodded and stood up, smoothing down her bright yellow camp shirt that really didn't seem to be her style. As they walked down the hill together, Seeley looked at her. "So, you like messing with bones, huh?"

She nodded.

"I think I'll call you Bones then."

She looked at him. "But you said Temperance was a pretty name."

"It is, but I love giving people nicknames, and Bones is as unique as you."

She stayed silent, and Seeley considered that a win. He didn't know her that well yet, but he had a feeling she didn't concede defeat in a disagreement all that easily.

X

_(word count: 879)_


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